One after another, countries around the world fail in 2020

Despite the toxic clouds from the fires, the Australian city of Sydney kicked off the world’s New Year’s celebrations with a giant fireworks display.

In Pyongyang, a crowd gathered for a concert in the center of the North Korean capital at midnight, accompanied by fireworks above a neon-lit stage hosting a dance performance choreographed at millimeter. In South Korea, locals have flocked to ritual ceremonies during which bells are ringing, especially in central Seoul in the presence of local stars.

In Hong Kong, police fired soon after entry into 2020 their first tear gas, on pro-democracy protesters. They had formed long human chains the day before and called for a big demonstration on New Year’s Day.

Russia will celebrate the New Year along the time zones that mark its immense territory. Muscovites will gather around the Kremlin to watch the fireworks.

In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin called in his year-end wishes the Russians to « unity » to continue the « development » of the country, on the 20th anniversary of his coming to power in 1999. On December 31, 1999, Boris Yeltsin had announced in his speech his resignation from the same function.

A global New Year celebrations with a giant fireworks display took place in Dubai, in the center of the capital.

The other capitals will take over according to time zones. In Paris, between 250,000 and 300,000 people are expected on the avenue des Champs-Elysées, but the strike that disrupts public transport in the French capital could discourage them. Demonstrations of « yellow vests » were banned there.

In London, after being silent for a long time due to restoration work, the Big Ben chime will sound at midnight. Fireworks will be fired from the banks of the Thames.

For the British, it should be the last Christmas Eve as members of the European Union, before the big leap in Brexit scheduled for January 31.

The festivities will, in many regions of the globe, be marked by political upheavals and upheavals.

In Hong Kong, after more than six months of almost daily protests, thousands of protesters had gathered across the city, including on the waterfront at Victoria Harbor.

They counted the passage to 2020: “Ten! New! Free Hong Kong, the revolution now! ”And they lit the torches on their phones, creating an ocean of lights.

Small groups also gathered in the district of Mong Kok, where they set fire to barricades. The police then used tear gas for the first time in 2020. The large traditional fireworks had been canceled for security reasons.

As revelers turn the page on 2019, they will look to 2020 and wonder if this new year will be as tumultuous as the previous one, marked by a revival of demonstrations to demand new political systems and measures against the climate change.

In 2019, anti-government protests swept across Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, leading to the departure of leaders from Lebanon, Algeria, Sudan and Bolivia.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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